


Newhome Academy

by PrincessOfDerse



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, But nothing like the game?, EVERYONE'S HUMAN, Fluff, I guess a college AU? But not really?, Idk it's weird, Messed up world, Multi, Non-Binary Chara, Non-Binary Frisk, Okay I suck at this, Swearing, Violence, and death, gonna be dark, kisses and hugs, like everyone has issues, more tags will be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 21:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6675895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessOfDerse/pseuds/PrincessOfDerse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chara and Asriel thought they had escaped the rebellion that tore their family apart, and Frisk thought they had put their past behind them in exchange for a better life, but after enrolling in Newhome Academy, they realise that happiness might be a lot further away than they initially thought.<br/>((AU where everyone is human and things are pretty messed up. Not gonna be very happy.))</p><p>((Also shitty description but shhh...)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

\--Chara's POV--

_‘So you actually came, huh?’_  
_Chara stayed silent. They watched from behind the trees, frozen in fear. They knew they were completely powerless against the aggressors in front of them. All they could do was try to stay hidden and keep their brother safe, no matter how much they wanted to run out and protect the rest of their family. They couldn’t do anything._  
_After all, they were just a kid._  
_Asriel was silent too, trembling in fear beside Chara, his eyes cast away from the scene in front of them. Chara was unable to look away, completely infatuated with watching their family get torn apart. They felt so guilty at the fact that all they could do was stare, a sick captivation twisting through them, a curious resonation of… something. They weren’t sure._  
_They watched. In horror, in fascination, in hatred, in longing… a mixture of emotions were coursing through them, alongside a furious rush of adrenaline that sent their heart racing. They felt Asriel’s hand curl around theirs. Something about the familiarity of his touch combined with the harsh jolt of their brother’s fear woke them up._  
_‘Did you think we’d show MERCY? Did you think that, if you surrendered, we’d leave your excuse for a monarchy alone?’ One of them was speaking. He was a tall, hooded figure. Chara could barely make out any other distinctive features, the darkness of the trees acting as a mask._  
_‘Did you perhaps think that we’d SPARE the rest of your family? Hah, that’s HILARIOUS.’ Another figure spoke._  
_Their father didn’t respond. He was completely motionless. Their mother seemed to be staring back into the eyes of one of the figures._  
_‘Don’t… Don’t you DARE hurt our children.’ Her words were firm, but even Chara could hear the underlying fear in her voice. She still held steady eye contact. Both of their parents were completely defenceless, having been backed against trees. Neither had bothered to fight back, because as soon as the castle’s defences had been broken, they knew the situation was hopeless. It was two against countless rebels. They were outnumbered completely._  
_‘Your castle is in ruins. Your guards have all fled. Your children are being found as we speak. Tell me, Your Majesty, do you really think you’re in any condition to be threatening us?’ A third spoke. He was much more relaxed than the others, leaning against a tree as he twisted a penknife between his hands._  
_‘P…please, just let them go. It’s not their fault, none of this is, they’re just kids-’ Her words were cut off by the figure, who had slammed the hilt of his knife into her face._  
_‘Why the fuck should we care? They’re your children. That makes them pure evil, in my opinion.’_  
_Blood was pouring from her eye, where the knife had hit. She still stared back at him. Her voice had lost all attempt at remaining calm. ‘You’re the- agh- you’re the evil ones. You’re planning on hurting innocent children, for no reason.’_  
_‘No reason? No FUCKING reason? You’re the ones that have killed countless children by running such a corrupt system! You’re the ones to blame, for all of this abuse and suffering, so don’t come at me with all of this… all of this fake fucking bullshit!’_  
_Their mother visibly gave up, sinking down next to her husband, carelessly wiping the blood from her face. Chara bit their lip, turning away from their parents and pulling Asriel closer. He was shaking, silent tears falling down his face, and they hated the figures for making him cry. They hated the figures for hurting their family. They wanted nothing more than to run out, to protect their parents, and maybe even die with them._  
_But Asriel… he was holding on to their hand so tight, he was so scared… Chara couldn’t let anything happen to him. They couldn’t bring themselves to pull away from him, or worse- to drag him to his death alongside them. So they simply pressed back into the tree behind them, facing away from the violence, arm wrapped protectively around their brother._  
_They could still hear them._  
_‘I guess there isn’t much point in keeping you around much longer, huh?’_  
_No answer._  
_‘Now you’re quiet, hm? Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now. Any last words? Any regal speeches left to make?’_  
_Still no answer._  
_‘Is there really nothing you want us to tell your loyal subjects? You know, before we kill them too. Don’t worry, you won’t be dying alone. We’ll hunt down every single person who has ever tried to defend you. So if there are any messages you want us to take for you, we’d be happy to oblige.’_  
_Their mother spoke. ‘Fuck… you…’_  
_‘Huh. This is pretty anti-climactic. I was expecting a bigger fight from all-powerful King and Queen. But… oh well. I guess the legacy of the Dreemurrs ends here.’_  
_Shuffling. Laughter. A strangled scream._  
_Then there was silence._  
_…_  
_Chara had no idea how long they spent next to Asriel. They both stood in silence, even after the figures had left._  
_Asriel was still crying and clinging to Chara, face buried in their shirt. Chara just held him close, refusing to cry, because they were meant to look after him. They were both the same age, but Chara had always been the one to take care of him, no matter what, yet now they couldn’t do anything to help him. Or the rest of their family._  
_Their parents were dead. They knew that both their corpses were most likely lying a few trees away from them. Their parents were DEAD. But all they felt was a numb emptiness, a lonely ache were they were sure they should be feeling sad. Everything felt surreal._  
_‘Chara… Chara… Can we go home now? Please? I don’t… I don’t like this game anymore. I want to go home…’ Asriel was sobbing into their arm. His voice was shaky, barely audible, yet it seemed so loud against the harsh contrast of the silence._  
_‘Asriel… Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…’ Chara felt tears pour down their face, struggling to speak due to the lump in their throat. ‘L-let’s just leave, we can… go somewhere else…’_  
_Asriel didn’t speak, body shaking violently with sobs, and instead just clung to Chara as they hesitantly stepped out from behind the tree._

\--Frisk's POV--

_[5 Years Later]_

‘Chara, get the fuck off of me. I came to this place for an education, you know.’

Frisk scowled down at Chara, arm tangled in theirs, as Chara smirked slightly, tightening their grip around their arm.

‘I’m asleep. Zzz.’ they replied smugly, voice slightly muffled from the pillow that their face was buried in.

‘Chara, oh my god. Let go! I have class!’

‘You’re a lame nerd.’ They huffed as they let go. ‘Why do you even go to class? It’s pointless. No-one else does.’

‘Firstly, I have plans that require a semi-decent education. Secondly, since when do I care about conforming to whatever other people do? Since when do you care?’

‘So… you came to this dump for an education?’ Chara swerved around the latter part of Frisk’s question, as they often did lately. Frisk shrugged, recognising Chara’s true intentions behind the question and wanting to avoid having to go into the depth of why they were here.

‘Chara, please. I don’t want to get into all that again. Not now.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but have fun learning nothing, Frisk.’

Frisk hesitated, noting the slight edge in Chara’s voice. They sat back down on the bed. ‘H-hey, I can stay if you want. I don’t really care about class, whatever. Is something wrong?’

‘Don’t bother staying. I have plans.’ Chara turned away from Frisk, facing the wall.

‘Wh…what!? With who?’

‘Heh, you’re totally jealous. And I’m seeing _Asriel._ Because he has a crush on someone or some shit. So I gotta go make sure she doesn’t hurt my brother. Should be fun.’

Frisk relaxed again, lying down next to Chara, who turned to face Frisk, flushing at how close their faces were.

‘I thought you were going to class.’ Chara’s voice was a barely audible whisper.

‘Nah.’ Frisk whispered back, shifting forwards so that their noses touched. They felt their heart pound as they continued making steady eye contact with Chara.

‘Huh… guess I’ll have to teach you some stuff instead.’

Frisk laughed lightly, snaking an arm around Chara’s waist. ‘God, that was awful.’

Chara smirked a little. ‘Shh…’

Frisk pressed their lips onto Chara’s, shivering as they kissed them back softly, squeezing their eyes closed. Chara wrapped their arms around Frisk’s neck, murmuring into the kisses. Frisk pushed themselves up and onto Chara, straddling them and giggling at their flushed expression. Chara blushed even more, before sitting up and winding their arms around their neck. They leaned up to kiss them again, more aggressively this time. Frisk tilted their head slightly, deepening the kiss, desperately suppressing a moan at the first trace of tongue.

Chara kissed them harder, faster, an erratic rhythm building up between them. Frisk was slightly taken aback by the amount of longing Chara poured into every kiss- they’d kissed before, sure, but they’d never been as lustful as this. Frisk’s head spun as they fumbled at Chara’s shirt, grabbing at it in a desperate attempt to stay steady. Chara moaned a little, causing Frisk’s heart to race even faster as they struggled to keep their breath. They felt Chara’s tongue slip away from theirs before they pulled back, burying their face in Frisk’s neck.

Frisk took deep breaths to regain their breathing, shivering in pleasure as they felt Chara trace their neck with tiny kisses. They let go of Chara’s shirt and took one of their hands, intertwining their fingers, when they felt them tremble slightly.

‘Frisk…’ Chara mumbled, their breath hot and heavy on Frisk’s neck. They felt their heart quicken again, the single syllable of their name sounding so sweet from Chara’s lips. They gently pushed them back from their neck, leaning down to plant kisses around their mouth before kissing them again, soft and lingering, until Chara pulled back, eyes fluttering open, as they shyly looked away from Frisk.

Frisk smirked at them slightly. ‘Are you going to get embarrassed every time we kiss?’

‘Shut up…!’ Chara buried their face in their hands, blushing. ‘And get off me!’

Frisk stuck their tongue out at them but rolled off, sitting beside Chara. They were still holding hands. Frisk leant their head on their shoulder.

‘I said get off of me, oh my god.’

Giggling, Frisk wrapped their arms around them and turned to look up at them. ‘I don’t want to though.’

Chara flushed. ‘Seriously, Frisk…?’

‘Heh. You’re so cute.’ Frisk let go and slid off of the bed, heart hammering in their chest. They began rummaging through Chara’s clothes when they heard a timid knock at their door.

‘Uh, isn’t Asriel kind of early?’ Frisk turned to Chara, who just shrugged from the bed.

Frisk opened the door. ‘Hey Asri- Oh. Hi, MK.’

Asriel’s roommate stood at the doorway, shivering slightly, with a large scratch right under his eye. He was in a dinosaur onesie. Chara jumped up, scowling at him.

‘The fuck do you want?’ Chara spat, standing next to Frisk and sneering down at the kid.

‘I, uh, think you should follow me. It’s um… it’s Asriel.’

Chara flipped out, slamming him into the door. ‘What the fuck do you mean, ‘it’s Asriel’? What did you do to him?’ Frisk pulled them back gently, shooting an apologetic glance at MK. Chara shook Frisk off furiously.

‘He... Um. There were these guys in the corridor talking about you two, and he said something back, or something, and they got mad and-’

Chara pushed past him, sprinting down the corridor in blind fury.

‘Shit.’ Frisk ran a hand through their hair. ‘Uh… are you okay, MK? We should probably go stop them from killing those guys, ahah…’ Frisk closed the door to the dorm and ran after Chara, nibbling their lip in worry. MK followed them, stumbling in his too-big pyjamas.

‘Fuck’s sake…’ Frisk watched them disappear into the boys’ dorm. They began to panic. Chara was particularly brutal with anyone who hurt their brother, and they knew that there would be no stopping them from going on a murderous rampage if there was a single mark on him.

Frisk and MK ran into the dorm after Chara, bumping into some teenager on the way. He yelled slurs after them, but Frisk simply flipped him off and followed MK to Asriel’s dorm. They heard a door slam open followed by a lot of yelling, and Frisk swore again before bursting into the room with MK.

‘Chara, calm down-’

Frisk walked in to see Chara hugging Asriel tightly on a sofa, both of them crying. The room was completely isolated of everyone else.

‘…They’re gone?’

Chara nodded.

‘Then uh… who were you yelling at?’

Chara pulled back from the hug and turned to Frisk. ‘I don’t fucking know! I’m pissed! Look what they did to him!’ Chara pointed to his eye, which was red and inflamed, like he’d been hit.

Frisk sighed, hugging him, and then turned to Chara. ‘Okay, I know you probably want to go beat those guys brains out-’

‘No shit!’

‘-but you have to stay with Asriel right now, okay? I’m gonna go get some ice for this, I think that’s what you’re meant to do?’

‘No! Fuck that! I’m gonna go find those guys, you wait here, and MK will get the ice. Okay MK? Just kidding, you haven’t got a choice. Fucking GO!’

MK nodded and ran off, eyes wide in fear from Chara. Frisk grabbed Chara’s hand.

‘Please, just stay with both of us then? I don’t want you getting in trouble, and we can just talk to staff about it?’

‘Oh what the _fuck,_ Frisk. My brother just got beaten up! Can you at least _pretend_ to give a shit about this situation!?’

‘Wh…what?’

‘You heard me.’ Chara jerked their hand back. ‘Look after Asriel instead of being a fucking wuss about this for once.’

Asriel spoke up, still shaking violently. ‘Chara, stop. I don’t need you to hurt anyone for me, I’ll be fine. Just don’t be mean to Frisk!’

Chara’s eyes flashed. They walked off, furiously wiping away their tears. Frisk ran after them before they left the room, grabbing Chara’s arm in a desperate attempt to keep them safe.

Chara turned on them, twisting their arm out of their grip. ‘Fuck _off_ , Frisk!’ Chara turned out of the dorm and down the corridor, pushing past groups of guys.

Frisk watched them go, a lump in their throat, before turning back and sitting next to Asriel again. They pressed their fists into their eyes, trying to focus on not bursting into tears in front of Asriel.

He hugged them nervously. ‘I’m sorry they were mean to you.’ Asriel spoke in an even smaller voice than usual.

‘Hah, no, it’s fine. They just… really love you, Asriel.’

‘They love you too!’

Frisk nodded at him, smiling a little sadly. In truth, they were used to Chara’s dramatic mood swings by now, and how they could go from arguing to kissing to ignoring each other in less than an hour. It sucked a lot of the time, but they loved Chara. It was worth it.

‘So uh… what exactly happened?’

‘Uh… MK and I were in our room, doing last minute homework stuff, when these guys started shouting things through the door, and so I thought it would be funny be funny to yell something back, and then they broke the door open and there were two of them and they made fun of you and Chara so I told them to go away but instead one of them punched me and attacked MK and then they left and MK went to get you and yeah you know the rest.’ Asriel had the habit of talking fast.

‘Oh. So it wasn’t Chara who broke the door?’

‘Heh, no. They dented the wall though.’

Frisk laughed. ‘Hey, you were really brave, Asriel. Chara would be proud, if they heard what you did.’

Asriel grinned, his bruised eye lighting up, just as MK ran in again, holding an ice lolly. His eyes swivelled around the room nervously, before relaxing when he realised Chara was gone. He handed the lolly to Asriel.

‘Uh… sorry. I couldn’t find any ice, so I just bought a nice-cream from that guy. Sorry.’

Asriel laughed, taking it. ‘Heh, thanks MK! And I’m sorry about Chara. They don’t mean to be hurtful… uh… most of the time…’ He opened the lolly and put it straight in his mouth.

‘Asriel… that was meant to be for your eye…’ Frisk rolled their eyes at him, but couldn’t help their smile. Asriel just shrugged.

Frisk turned to MK. ‘Is your face okay?’

MK nodded. ‘Yep! It was so awesome! One of them had a knife!’

Frisk jerked up, staring at MK in disbelief. ‘What.’

‘…What?’

‘One of them has a knife!? And Chara went to find them!?’

Asriel froze next to Frisk. ‘Oh no.’

MK’s eyes widened. ‘Oh man. I didn’t think of that.’

‘SHIT. You two go get help or something, I gotta go find them…!’

MK and Asriel exchanged nervous glances. ‘Uhh... Frisk? That’s a bad idea. You’ll get hurt too!’

‘Does it look like I give a fuck?? Let’s just go!’


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((Graphic violence in this chapter))

Chara felt bad about the way they had reacted. Or at least, they felt bad that they didn’t feel bad. They knew they were meant to feel some kind of remorse for the way they had cussed out Frisk, and ditched Asriel, but they found themselves too wrapped up in burning hatred for the people here to feel anything other than the urge to get revenge. Specifically on the ones that had hurt their brother.

They pushed through the crowds of people that stood in the dorm’s corridor, probably a little too aggressively, tears still stinging in their eyes. They hated themselves for the complete lack of control they had over their own emotions, and their actions when they got like this, but mostly they hated the fact that other people seemed to have total power over them. They envied Frisk in that aspect, because they never seemed to let anything other people did bother them. They were able to shrug it off, and show so much _MERCY_ towards everyone else. They seemed to love humanity.

Chara was the opposite. They hated humanity. They hated how the world was split into two groups of people, the villains and the victims, because it made them wonder where the fuck they belonged. Especially at times like these.

They reached their room and began fiercely tearing through piles of clothes, books, and bedsheets in a desperate attempt to find their penknife. They felt completely out of control, acting purely on impulse, driven purely by the thoughts swimming round their mind, filled with a twisted _determination_ to hurt the people that hurt Asriel.

They raked a hand through their hair as they scanned the room, biting their lip at the mess they made. _Hopefully Frisk wouldn’t see it._ They noticed that they’d knocked a bunch of Frisk’s folders off of their desk, scattering paper everywhere. _Frisk was going to be pissed_. Then they realised what they were doing, what they were looking for, what they just did and sunk to the ground, face in their hands.

Shit. Shit. Frisk was probably crying because of them. Asriel too. _Shit._

Ugh, why the fuck did _they_ feel bad? It wasn’t their fault, it was the people who attacked their brother who were to blame. _It wasn’t their fault_. They hadn’t done anything wrong. But they still felt a sickening remorse for their actions. _W h y??_

Chara stood back up again, determined not to feel sorry for themselves and for what they did.

They pulled a jumper on over what they had woken up in and pulled their old boots over their feet. Or maybe they were Frisk’s. Who cared. They scanned the room in vain hopes that they would see the penknife lying around, desperately trying to clear their mind enough to remember when and where they last had it.

Instead of wasting anymore time, they snapped a pair of Frisk’s ,scissors in half, tucking one of the blades into their right boot. It wouldn’t do shit to hurt anyone but they felt safer knowing it was there, just in case things turned really ugly.

Or rather, _when_ things turned really ugly.

Chara pushed their phone into their other boot, intending to text Frisk an apology when they were done, before darting out their room again, passing several people as they left the dorm. Most of them barely spared them glances. Good. Chara felt way too vulnerable right now, their emotions a mess of regret and anger, and they were uncertain of how they’d react if anyone were to challenge them in any way, even if it was just a funny look.

The only thing they were certain of was where they were going now. In truth, they had been expecting an attack from… ugh, _him…_ and they did get fair warning. Hah. ‘Fair’. Nothing about this situation was fair.

Except for what Chara knew they had to do.

They walked towards the main building, trembling from a mixture of anticipation and anger. They guessed that the guy they were looking for would be in the usual lab. That’s what he had told them, when he gave them the warning. It was something along the lines of that, anyways. Some vaguely threatening bullshit.

Most of the doors along the corridor were shut, as classes had already started, even though there were hardly any people inside. Chara hurried down a flight of stairs, to the underground labs. It seemed quieter there, but the serene atmosphere did nothing to calm Chara’s nerves as they sprinted towards the last lab.

The door was open, and Chara barely hesitated before bursting in, scanning the room furiously. They expected to see him there, wearing that _stupid smug expression_ , but instead they stood staring in the doorway at two other people who they vaguely recognised. Alphys and Undyne. Friends of _his_ in the year above Chara. _Shit._

‘Where the fuck is Sa-’

Chara got cut off as Undyne grabbed them by the wrist, jerking them into the room and slamming them against the wall next to the door. Chara flinched on impact, glaring furiously at the girl looming over them.

‘What the fuck!?’

Undyne laughed and grabbed Chara by the chin, sneering into their face. ‘Nice of you to join us, freak. We were getting worried you wouldn’t show up.’

Chara blinked at her, then glanced over her shoulder to see Alphys locking the door.

‘Undyne. T-take it easy, okay?’ She sat down on a stool a few metres away from them. ‘Don’t… y’know.’

Undyne laughed, smiling in faux innocence. ‘What? Kill them? I wouldn’t dream of it, babe.’ She smirked down at Chara again. ‘I wouldn’t want to get any of this _filthy creature’s_ blood on my hand, after all.’

‘What the shit is going on!?’ Chara demanded as they attempted to pull away from Undyne’s grip.

Undyne laughed at them, shifting her hand so it tightened around their neck. ‘Wow, for someone with such a brutal reputation, you are pretty stupid, huh?’

‘What are you t-?’

Undyne’s mouth twisted into a snarl. ‘Don’t play dumb. Did you really expect to find him here?’

Chara’s eyes widened. ‘You… you mean… it was a ruse? He lied!?’

Undyne scoffed at them. ‘Exactly. And while you’re spending some quality time with me and Alphys, Frisk will be having a bad time. And you know what the best part of this is?’

Chara growled at her, desperately clawing at her arm which pinned them against the wall.

‘This whole thing is your fault. If you had listened to him, then maybe none of you would be in this situation.’

‘That’s _not true-_ Agh! _’_

Undyne cut them off by pressing harder into their throat before nodding at Alphys. ‘Okay, you can call Frisk now. Put them on speaker phone. I want the freak to hear.’

Chara kicked Undyne in the shin, hard, and twisted away from her grasp as she doubled over in pain.

‘How… _How the fuck_ did you get their number?’ They demanded.

Undyne straightened up, eyes watering in pain. ‘Heh. Your brother isn’t very good at saying no to people.’

Chara froze. ‘ _What._ ’

Undyne took advantage of their shock and punched them across the face, causing them to slump against the wall and slide to the floor. She regained her breathing and pushed a foot onto their chest, glaring down at them furiously.

‘Bitch.’ She spat at them, her expression one of pure disgust.

‘Undyne.’ Alphys warned from their seat, as she began to dial Frisk’s number.

Chara began to grow desperate as they felt blood fill their mouth. ‘Look… please. Please don’t hurt Frisk, just let me talk to him. _Please._ ’ They blinked back tears in shame, telling themselves that they were just crying from the shock of the punch. Nothing else.

‘You’re begging? Pathetic. Since when were you one to show MERCY, huh?’

Chara trembled, just as their phone started to ring. _Shit. That’s Frisk._

‘Alphys, wait.’ Undyne said harshly, as she stamped hard on Chara’s hand as they reached into their boot to get the phone. She bent over and pulled it out, smirking at the name flashing across the screen. She passed it over to Alphys, who answered it on speaker phone.

‘-ara? CHARA!? You have to come back! One of them has a knife, it’s too dangerous, _please listen to me!_ Chara??’ Frisk’s voice filled the air, causing Chara’s heart to race. _SHIT._

Undyne pushed her foot into Chara’s throat, making it impossible for them to talk.

‘H… Hello… Who is this?’ Alphys spoke softly into the phone, her voice shaking in fake fear.

‘It’s me! Frisk! I need… is Chara with you? Are they okay?’

‘Oh… uh… you should probably come here… Chara is-’

‘FUCK. Where are you? I’m coming. I’m coming. Where the fuck are you!?’

‘We’re on the r… roof. Of the main block. You should hurry-’

The call ended with a click as Alphys hung up mid-sentence.

Undyne smiled. ‘Convincing performance, Alphys.’

‘Whatever. Just stop making me use the phone. Can I go now?’ She started texting someone.

Undyne shook her head, smiling down at Chara. ‘Don’t be silly, Alphys. We have to entertain our guest!’ She took her foot from Chara’s neck.

Chara gasped for breath, hands flying up to their bruised throat. They glared at Undyne, shaking furiously as tears poured down their face. ‘You… motherfucker. Why the roof?’

Undyne laughed. ‘You know, a fall from that height would be completely fatal.’ She smirked at Chara’s expression. ‘Say, Alphys, didn’t he promise we would be able to see the whole thing? I’d love to see the freak’s reaction to it.’

‘Yeah, I set cameras up there. I also set them up in Frisk’s and your room, by the way.’ She smiled slightly as she said it. ‘You two are cute together.’

Chara felt their face burning. ‘What the fuck!? That’s illegal, you fucking cunt-’

Undyne kicked Chara in the side. ‘Don’t insult my girlfriend.’

‘Agh… fuck you-’

Undyne kicked them again, harder. ‘Seriously, you’re pissing me off. Shut up.’

Alphys rolled their eyes at her. She walked to the front of the classroom and switched on the projector. A blurry image of the roof flickered onto it, depicting the pair of brothers Chara hated so much. They felt their hands clench into fists as they involuntarily bolted up, flinching from the pain it caused them. Undyne shot them a warning glance.

‘At least… _fuck_ … At least tell me what he’s gonna do to them?’

Undyne looked at them distastefully. ‘I don’t fucking know.’

‘… How long until they get there?’

‘I don’t know, fucking hell.’

Chara tucked their legs up to their chin, frowning as they thought of what to do. Undyne would be impossible to fight, her brute strength and size made her almost unbeatable. Unless… They could try and take her by surprise? Maybe. Alphys would be easy to threaten. They still had a blade, after all…

Chara reached into their boot and whipped out the blade, diving at Undyne. She sidestepped easily, causing them to go crashing to the ground.

‘Wow, really?’

Scowling at her, Chara got up again, gripping the scissor tightly.

Undyne mocked fear. ‘Wow, you came prepared. A scissor blade? I might as well surrender now, I clearly don’t stand a chance. Also, fuck you. I’m not an idiot, freak.’

Undyne walked over to them.

‘Undyne. Remember what he said. Don’t kill them, okay?’ Alphys muttered.

‘I know, I know.’ Undyne snapped back. ‘Let me just… teach them a lesson.’

‘Whatever.’ Alphys just went back to her phone.

Chara stepped back slightly. Shit. _Shit._ This was going to hurt.

Undyne backed Chara up to the wall on the other side, eyes flashing in fury. She reached up to Chara’s head, grabbing a fistful of their hair, before spinning them round and slamming them into the wall, face first. Chara yelped, dropping the blade, hands jerking up to cover their face. Undyne stopped them, grabbing their wrists violently. She smashed their face into the wall again. Chara cried out, struggling furiously but completely powerless against her harsh grip.

They felt blood pouring down their face, trembling in pain. They braced themselves again, squeezing their eyes shut, but instead of the harsh contact with the wall they felt Undyne shove them down to the floor, where they landed on all fours. They curled up, sobbing and shaking, and reached a hand up to their face cautiously. Their nose felt completely disfigured, and their cheeks were wet from blood and tears. They turned to look up at Undyne. She was scowling at the wall, which had a slight dent in it, and was smeared with blood.

She saw them looking at her, and instantly kicked them flat onto the ground. ‘Don’t even look at me. You make me sick.’

Chara buried their face in their hands. They contemplated apologising, because they knew exactly why she hated them this much, and opened their mouth slightly to talk just as they felt another harsh blow to their side, followed by two more. They curled up, tensing to try and stop the kicks from hurting as much.

‘Undyne, oh my god. You’re going to kill them.’ Alphys called out, and somewhere through the intense pain Chara felt so relieved that it was over. ‘Besides. Frisk’s on the roof. Didn’t you want to see this?’ Chara looked up at the mention of Frisk’s name.

Undyne stepped away from Chara. ‘This isn’t over, freak.’

The projector showed Frisk step towards the brothers, and Chara bit their lip, heart pounding. They seemed to be talking, when the shorter brother looked straight into the camera and grinned at it.

Chara trembled in fury. _Typical Sans. What a fucking sadist._

Sans said something to Frisk, who took a step back suddenly. Chara couldn’t see because of the camera’s angle, but they were sure Frisk was scared. _Shit. And they couldn’t do anything about it. Shit._

Sans pulled out some sort of weapon, which Chara couldn’t make out because of the shitty camera quality, and he looked straight into the camera again, a smug grin still in place.

Chara wanted to yell at Frisk to run, but they were completely powerless and they knew it. They caught Undyne looking back at them, pleasure in her eyes from Chara’s reaction to the screen.

Chara flipped her off, struggling to their feet.

‘P… Please…’ They stammered, leaning against the wall for support. They felt a sharp pain in their chest, from where Undyne had kicked them. Something felt… broken.

‘What now?’ Undyne spat back at them, eyes still glued to the projector. Frisk had backed out of view, and Sans was laughing about something. His brother, Papyrus, was standing next to him, looking equally as smug.

‘Is he gonna kill them?’ Chara’s voice was barely audible, they spoke in such a hoarse whisper.

‘Probably. Though, it would be your fault, Chara.’

Chara blinked back tears. _Shit. She was right. Frisk… fuck. FUCK._

Sans locked his eyes on the camera, taking out his phone and dialling a number. Alphys’ phone started ringing. She jumped, staring at it reluctantly.

Undyne answered it instead, rolling her eyes at Alphys.

‘What?’ Undyne said impatiently. She scowled at the floor as Sans said something back. ‘…Why? Are you crazy? They’re a total maniac. Yes, they’re still alive. I barely touched them, just a few punches! Sans, what the fuck? Doing that defeats the whole purpose! … Okay, fine, we’ll see you in a bit. Bye.’ Undyne hung up, grinning at Chara. ‘Okay, change of plan. We’re going to the roof!’

‘What?? Are you sure?’ Alphys widened her eyes.

‘Yeah. He…’ Undyne leant forwards to whisper something into Alphys’ ear.

Alphys nodded. ‘Right. Okay. Let’s go?’

Chara blinked. ‘What?’

‘We’re going to the fucking roof. How many times do I need to say that?’

Alphys switched off the projector and unlocked the door. Chara struggled off the wall and took a few shaky steps before collapsing to the floor.

‘Fuck’s sake…’ Undyne bent over and helped Chara up, marching them out of the door with one arm around their waist for support. She dug her nails into their side, causing them to flinch, but she felt safer knowing they would be too weak to try and attack her.

Chara trembled at her touch, fear pulsing through them, but they sluggishly leant against her. They knew they were going to be completely useless at protecting Frisk in this state. They could barely take a step without stumbling, which caused Undyne to violently jolt them back.

‘Oh my god, _walk,_ would you? I’m not going to carry you.’

‘Good.’ Chara managed to spit out, their voice still choked and ragged. They felt blood trickle down their neck from their face, and they couldn’t help but think about Frisk’s reaction when they saw them like this.

Alphys silently supported Chara from the other side, stumbling slightly, but Undyne shot her an appreciative glance. Chara was completely humiliated. They had been completely played by Sans, had the shit beaten out of them by the person they were relying on to carry them up endless flights of stairs, and now they had to face Frisk in a humiliating defeat. _Fuck._ They hadn’t been expecting Sans to play _this_ dirty.

They shook violently as they all reached the door that lead to the roof. Undyne kicked it, yelling Sans’ and Papyrus’ name through it. Papyrus unlocked and opened it.

‘Hey, Undy-’ He stopped suddenly, eyes landing on Chara. Chara looked back into his eyes, expecting a violent outburst. Instead he just looked shocked. ‘Wowie, uh… what happened to you?’

Undyne dragged Chara onto the roof, throwing them down onto the flat concrete below. Papyrus locked the door behind them again, standing to the side with Alphys and Undyne as he nervously watched Chara.

Chara looked up from the floor, cheeks burning in embarrassment. Their eyes met with Frisk’s, who was staring at them, eyes wide with concern.

‘F…Frisk, hey…’

Frisk was by their side in a heartbeat, throwing their arms around them and sobbing into their shoulder.

‘Shit, Frisk…’ Chara weakly hugged them back, eyes meeting with Sans’ over their shoulder.

‘Chara. Long time, no see.’ Sans said, grinning at them. Then he raised an eyebrow at Undyne. ‘Just a few punches, huh?’

Undyne shrugged. ‘What did you expect?’

Smirking, he walked over to Frisk and Chara. Chara pulled Frisk closer, protectively, and looked up at Sans.

‘S…Sans. I’m sorry for what I did, for hurting Papyrus-’

Sans snarled suddenly, tearing Frisk off of them and grabbing Chara by the throat. ‘Don’t say his name.’

Frisk clenched their fists and jumped up. ‘Get off of them!’

Sans sighed. ‘Undyne, please…’

Undyne nodded and punched Frisk around the face, knocking them out in a single clean blow.

Chara struggled against Sans, desperate to get to Frisk. They tore at his hand, choking for breath.

Sans let go of them, leaving them gasping for air.

‘F…Fuck’s sake… I’m getting really fucking sick of being strangled…’ They wheezed. Sans stood over them, scoffing.

‘Huh. I was expecting a bigger fight from you.’

‘Excuse m-me, I was just beaten half to death by your psycho friend, so s-sorry if I’m-’ _cough_ ‘-not as energetic as usual…’ They crawled over to Frisk, relieved to see they were still breathing, just out cold. They stood up, legs shaky and weak, but somehow managed to stay on both feet.

‘How… _fucking_ dare you… hit them…’ Chara spat at Undyne, who simply smiled at them, amused.

‘Hey. You started this.’ She whispered back, lightly shoving them so they fell back down again. ‘Hah. You really are _pathetic_.’

Chara looked at Frisk, overcome with the urge to just crawl into their arms. They dipped down and kissed them lightly on the forehead, wishing they were awake to feel it, because it was Chara’s way of saying they were _so sorry_. Alphys had to look away, blushing. Even Undyne bit their lip a little when Chara had to squeeze their eyes closed to stop the tears.

But Sans remained as brutal as ever.

He grabbed Chara by the arm and pulled them up. ‘Show’s over, buddy. You hurt my brother, and now you’re going to p a y.’

Chara nodded, shutting their eyes, completely out of determination. They weren’t sure what to expect, other than pain. Maybe they’d even get killed. They felt a twinge of regret for all the things they hadn’t done. They’d never helped Asriel with his crush. They’d never _really_ apologised for hurting Papyrus in the first place, all those years ago. They’d never… _shit_ , they’d never told Frisk they loved them…

They opened their eyes, one last flicker of strength left in them, and looked at Frisk. Alphys and Undyne were looking away, desperately avoiding the scene going on in front of them. Papyrus stared straight back at them, though. He looked like he was about to cry. They made eye contact, for a second, and Papyrus stepped forwards.

‘Brother, I think… I think they really are sorry! Maybe we should forgive them…’ Papyrus stopped talking as Sans turned and glared at them. Chara’s heart started pounding as they noticed he was holding a knife. Their penknife, in fact. Rude.

‘Pap, they tried to hurt you. They tried to _kill_ you.’

Chara struggled to keep their eyes open, but smiled slightly at Papyrus.

Sans shook his head. He grabbed Chara by the back of the neck, thrusting them towards Papyrus.

‘You think this… this _monster_ is sorry?’

Chara looked straight into Papyrus’ eyes, willing themselves to look as tired as possible. _Please, please…_

Alphys and Undyne exchanged glances but remained silent. Papyrus sighed and looked at Sans. ‘I think they’ve been punished enough. Look at them, Sans.’

Undyne cleared her throat. ‘Maybe I went a bit too far. Sorry.’

Papyrus walked over to his brother, taking the knife from his hands and dropping it onto the floor. _Yes… That’s all they needed._

Papyrus grinned. ‘Yay! Now we can all be friends inst-’

He cut off as Chara swiftly bent down, scooped up the knife and slammed it towards Sans’ face. His hand darted up, catching their wrist in mid-air.

‘Heh… really, kid?’ Sans twisted their arm until they let go, yelping. _SHIT._

Sans shoved Chara to the ground. They grabbed the knife again, which had fallen next to them, and threw it as hard as they could away from them so that it toppled over the railings surrounding the roof.

‘…What the hell did that achieve?’ Sans said, his grin a lot more manic than usual.

Chara felt themselves start to black out. ‘Now… now you can’t kill me?’

‘Hah. You wish, kiddo.’ Papyrus had backed off completely. Alphys and Undyne turned away. ‘This is just going to be a lot more painful for you…’

Chara felt the world slow around them, their eyes sliding shut to block out Sans’ fist which closed down on them. They felt a sharp jolt of impact as the world slid into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soo uh not much happens lol its mostly just angst and shit xD but ty for making it this far! <33

 

Frisk jerked up, heart pounding. Then their heart froze.

They saw Chara lying across from them, broken and bloody, as Sans swung his fist down on them repeatedly. They jumped up, nearly collapsing from dizziness as blood rushed to their head, but they didn’t care, they didn’t _fucking care,_ because all they saw was red as they charged at him and shoved him off of Chara. Sans blinked, confused, staring from Frisk, who was now kneeling next to Chara, to his bloodied fist.

Frisk grabbed Chara’s hand, heaving sobs into their chest.

‘What the FUCK are you doing, just standing there!?’ they screamed at Alphys, Undyne and Papyrus.

Undyne raised an eyebrow. ‘Us? We aren’t doing anything.’

Frisk tried to pick Chara up on their own, and then turned to the other three. ‘For fuck’s sake, help me! They’re going to die and-’ They broke down sobbing. They shakily reached a hand out, touching Chara’s bruised neck. They could still feel their pulse, though it seemed faint and distant.

‘Please! We haven’t got much time... please…’ Their voice broke as they finished speaking, and Papyrus walked over to them, gently helping them carry Chara. Alphys and Undyne walked past them, kneeling down next to Sans. He still looked completely stunned. Frisk almost felt bad for him.

_Almost_.

Papyrus fumbled to unlock the door. Frisk was still sobbing, they hated the feeling of Chara’s limp, lifeless body against them. No. Not lifeless. They would survive. It would be okay. It would be okay.

They dragged them through the corridors, leaving a sickening trickle of blood behind them. The building was completely deserted, thank _god._ Papyrus looked over at Frisk. He saw their expression, a mixture of anger and fear and helplessness, and for the first time in his life he wasn’t sure what to say.

‘Don’t worry, everything will be alright! The great Papyrus will-’

‘The great Papyrus?’ Frisk’s voice still shook with anger. ‘What’s so great about someone who just stood and watched his brother try to kill someone? You didn’t do shit to help, and… and now…’ Frisk faltered as their eyes welled up with fresh tears.

Papyrus looked away, cheeks burning in shame. Frisk stumbled a little, struggling to carry Chara. He picked them up and carried them easily in his arms. They were almost completely motionless, their only movement being soft rises and falls of their chest.

‘Thanks…’ Frisk muttered, taking Chara’s hand and walking alongside Papyrus.

They walked in silence, down flights of stairs until they reached the ground floor.

‘Uh… um, Frisk? I don’t think we should take them to a hospital…’

‘The fuck? Why not?’

Papyrus looked down, slightly sheepishly. ‘They uh… might ask questions. And then-’

‘ _Oh_ , I get it. You don’t want them to realise who did it, huh? You do realise that this is a life or death situation, right?? Why the hell should I give a shit about your friends??’

‘Because… because Chara would get found out for uhm… what they did, probably.’

Frisk’s voice was barely a whisper. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Oh. Did they not tell… Huh. Okay. Well, trust me! I have an idea! We can go to the lab, and I’ll call Alphys down! She can save them!’

‘The lab? Alphys?’ Frisk wanted to object, to just take Chara to get proper help themselves, but they knew there was no way they’d be able to carry them anywhere alone. Papyrus looked sincere about his proposal, so Frisk decided to just let it happen with a sigh. ‘Fuck. Fine. Do you promise they’ll be okay?’

‘Yep! I promise! Let’s go!’

Frisk followed them down the last flight of stairs, biting their lip. They weren’t sure what it was about him, but he had such a genuinely innocent feel to him that Frisk found it hard not to trust him. Papyrus unlocked the last lab door, struggling to carry Chara at the same time, and walked in proudly.

‘Uhh, this is where Chara was, before…’ Papyrus coughed slightly, then laid Chara down onto a desktop. Frisk sat beside them, lacing a hand into theirs. Papyrus dialled a number on his phone, turning it onto speaker phone.

‘H-hello? Alphys? We need-’

‘Papyrus, get the FUCK back here! Why are you helping that MURDERER? You fucking traitor-’ Papyrus turned it off speaker phone, flushing, and walked out of the room to talk to Undyne.

Frisk barely registered any of it, staring at Chara in total hopelessness. They stroked the hair out of their eyes, biting back sobs from the state their face and neck were in. Chara’s nose was completely smashed in, and their forehead was bruised and grazed. They had dark rings around their eyes, probably because of Sans’ punches. Their lips were chapped with blood. Their neck was black and blue, with bruises that almost seemed to resemble handprints. Frisk kissed their mouth softly, willing them awake, willing them to open their eyes…

Nothing happened. Of course.

Frisk sobbed and buried their face in their chest.

Countless minutes passed, and with every moment Frisk grew increasingly worried, feeling Chara’s heartbeat get softer and softer. They figured that Papyrus had abandoned them.

_Shit. They were an idiot. Why did they think they could trust him??_

Frisk buried their face in their hands, sobbing in dismay.

_Fuck. They were fucked. Shit. What the fuck were they meant to do without them?_

They heard voices just outside the door and looked up nervously, expecting to see Papyrus again. Instead, the girls who had brought Chara to the roof entered the room. Frisk scrambled up, standing in front of Chara protectively, recognising one of them as the girl who had hurt both them and Chara before.

Undyne sneered at them. ‘Relax, loser. We’re here to… _ugh…_ help them.’

Alphys nodded, setting down a first aid kit.

Frisk stared past her and at Undyne. ‘You uh… did this to them, right?’ They gestured to Chara.

Undyne nodded. _Proud._

‘... Why…?’

‘Because they’re a fucking _freak._ And a _murderer_. And they totally deserved it.’

‘No, they didn’t. They’ve never killed anyone, they wouldn’t do that!’

Undyne laughed at them, a cruel and harsh sound. ‘Seriously? Wow, they really have been lying to you, huh?’

‘What are you-’

‘You have _no idea_ what they did. They deserved every bit of pain, and more. So maybe learn the full story before you try and defend a killer.’

‘Shut UP! They’re not a killer, you’re lying!’

Undyne just laughed again. ‘Believe what you want. I don’t care.’

Alphys ignored both of them, standing over Chara and checking their pulse. She bit her lip a little, worry evident in her eyes.

Frisk looked at her urgently. ‘What? Are they okay?’

‘Uhm… I’m not really a doctor, b-but, I think they’ll be okay? Their nose is broken, clearly, and I think some of their ribs are too, judging from what happened earlier… Uh… and their neck is pretty fucked up, but that’s kinda obvious…’

Frisk nodded. ‘So what do we have to do?’

Alphys rolled up Chara’s jumper and jerked back at the sight of Chara’s body. The bottom-left half of their chest was completely blue from bruises, and there seemed to be a slight dent in their body. Frisk tore their eyes away, a hand flying up to their mouth.

‘Shit, Undyne…’ Alphys murmured, tracing a gloved hand over the bruises.

Undyne looked over her shoulder. ‘Oh damn.’ She was _smiling._

‘You think it’s fucking funny?’ Frisk’s voice was thick with tears. ‘Alphys, are they going to be okay??’

‘Y-yeah, I think, I don’t think any of their ribs are broken, but I can’t really tell? I think… I think we can just wrap them up and they should be okay.’ She began doing so, using a length of bandage from her first aid kit.

‘I can’t believe you’re helping them.’ Undyne commented, rolling their eyes as they sat down again.

‘Can you shut the fuck up!? They didn’t deserve this, you’re just… sick!’

Undyne raised an eyebrow at them. ‘You wanna go, punk?’

Frisk stepped out from behind the desk, clenching their fists. ‘No, but I want you to be fucking quiet.’

‘Well, _I_ wanted that freak to die, but hey, I guess not everyone’s wishes can come true.’

‘They are NOT a FUCKING FREAK! You’re the freak! Look what you did to them!’

‘Mhm. Cool. It was fun.’

‘What the FUCK is WRONG WITH YOU!?’

‘Keep talking, and I’ll show you exactly how the freak got into that state.’

‘You’re a fucking bitch!’

Alphys kept her eyes glued onto Chara as she finished tying the bandage and moved up to their face, washing away the blood. ‘Hey, Frisk? Don’t insult my girlfriend.’ She spoke completely calmly.

‘Your…. Girlfriend? Oh.’

Undyne grinned at Alphys, flipping Frisk off.

‘So, Undyne. How would _you_ feel if someone had nearly killed Alphys by beating her up, hm?’

‘That wouldn’t happen, because unlike you, I’d actually be able to protect her. I’d actually be there for her. Where were you, Frisk? When Chara had left to come find us? What were you doing? Why weren’t you with them?’

Frisk trembled. ‘Shut up.’

‘You weren’t there for them. They were getting hurt whilst you did _nothing_.’

‘Shut _up._ ’

‘Frisk. You couldn’t protect them. Not even on the roof- _heY!’_

Frisk launched themselves at Undyne, scratching across their hand across her face. Undyne jerked back slightly, but not enough to stop Frisk from leaving slight marks. She blinked in surprise, before bursting into peals of laughter.

‘Wow, I did not know that you had that in you. Luckily for you, I’m on strict orders from Sans not to hurt you or the freak.’

‘Sans? The creep on the roof?’ Frisk snarled. ‘Why? What the hell does he want?’

‘I don’t fucking know.’

Frisk scowled and turned away from her to look back at Chara. They sat back down next to them. The blood from their face had been cleaned off, showing a grazed forehead and dark bruises around their eyes. Alphys had clicked their nose back into place, and was now holding ice against it, which she had gotten from one of the storage freezers around the room.

‘How long until they wake up?’

Alphys frowned. ‘I’m not sure… maybe a few hours? We should probably get medication ready, their nose is gonna hurt like hell when do.’

‘Good.’ Undyne called over.

Frisk ignored her. ‘Okay. Do you have any pain killers?’

‘Uh… I have headache pills but that’s it. They probably won’t do anything, but we can try?’

‘I vote to just leave them in pain. They deserve it.’

‘Oh my god, can you shut up!?’ Frisk yelled at her.

‘Both of you, stop, _please._ Undyne, I need you to call Sans and Papyrus, outside.’ Alphys tossed her phone at her. Undyne nodded and left the room.

‘What’s that about?’ Frisk demanded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

‘N-nothing, really…’ Alphys looked away from them. ‘Just… gotta keep him up to date. Hopefully we can leave you both alone, after Chara gets better… I’m uhm… really sorry about all of this, Frisk. I didn’t… I didn’t really expect the plans to go through. I thought… I don’t know. I’m really s-sorry.’

Frisk shook their head. ‘No, it’s okay! You’ve done loads to help us, thank you for all of this, seriously. I don’t really know what I’d do without Chara, y’know? So thank you.’

Alphys ducked her head, tears spilling out of her eyes. ‘Shit… I… I can’t do this. Just, Frisk… Whatever Undyne said about Chara is true. They are a murderer. I’m sorry…’ Alphys walked out of the room, tears streaming down their face, leaving Frisk alone with Chara.

‘What…?’ Frisk called after her. She didn’t turn around as she hurried out the room. Frisk glanced down at Chara and stroked their cheek, just as Undyne burst in, furious.

‘You made her cry! What the fuck did you do!?’

Frisk didn’t even look up from Chara, still trying to figure out why everyone seemed to think they were a murderer.

‘I’m talking to you, punk!’ Undyne stepped closer, glowering at them.

Frisk kept their eyes trained on Chara as they felt a lump begin to rise in their throat.

‘What’s gotten into you!? I leave you both alone for what, five minutes? And now suddenly you’re both acting like a pair of despondent children. What did you do?? Did _they_ do something?’ Undyne gestured to Chara.

‘They’re unconscious, you twat.’ Frisk mumbled, still focusing on Chara.

‘Okay, good for them. Look, Frisk, Sans wants to talk to you. So you should probably come with me, I guess.’

‘No way, I’m not leaving Chara. This is probably another stupid plan to hurt them again. Sans can fuck off.’ Frisk wrapped their arms around Chara to prove their point.

Undyne sighed. ‘Right. Figured as much. I’ll call Sans back again, but he won’t be happy.’ She began to walk out of the room again.

‘Undyne, uh…’

‘…Ugh, what!?’

‘Why do you all hate me and Chara so much?’

‘… That’s kind of a long fucking story, Frisk.’

‘But… Did Chara kill anyone? Are they…’ Frisk couldn’t bring themselves to finish the sentence.

‘A murderer? Hell yes. They’ve killed so many people, Frisk. But that’s not the whole reason.’

‘Oh…’ Frisk felt their voice thicken. _Shit._ They really didn’t want to cry again today. Their head hurt enough as it was.

‘Aw, what’s wrong, Frisk? You having second thoughts about them? I don’t blame you, to be honest.’

‘No! Never! Just… just fuck off, and talk to Sans, or whatever.’

Undyne simply grinned and walked back over. ‘You know, Frisk, when I say _so many_ people, I mean a lot. Like, hundreds.’

Frisk squeezed their eyes shut. ‘Okay, I get it, please _stop_.’

‘They took so many innocent lives, but you know what’s even worse than that?’

‘No, I don’t care, go away…’

‘They feel no remorse for it, Frisk. They act like a great person. They act like they still deserve love and respect and mercy, but in reality, they’re just a _filthy murderer._ ’

‘Shut up…’

‘Oh, they _pretend_ that they’re sorry. In fact, they even went so far as to _beg_ for forgiveness. But you know why? Because they were getting the _pathetic shit_ beaten out of them. And it was _so fucking funny_ to watch, Frisk. Because it just showed how _selfish_ and _worthless_ and _truly pathetic_ they really are.’

‘No, that’s not true…’

‘And you know what else?’

‘Shut up… don’t care…’

‘They haven’t changed in the slightest. They still treat people like dirt. They still act like they’re better than everyone else. Just look at the way they act around others. Do you really doubt that they’re anything but a _filthy killer?_ ’

‘S-stop…’ Frisk wrapped their arm around Chara’s, sobbing into it.

Undyne smiled. ‘I hope that answered your question, punk.’

Frisk quivered as they heard Undyne step out of the room. Frisk didn’t want to believe Undyne, they desperately wanted Chara to open their eyes and tell them that it was all lies, but there was definitely some hideous truth to her words.

They missed Chara so much. It hadn’t even been that long, but there was such a haunting intensity to their emotions, it almost felt as if Chara’s body was a fake, a mockery, wordlessly taunting them through total silence. They longed for it to move, to wake _up,_ to stop being a phantom reminder of Chara and just be _Chara._

Frisk felt tears begin to flood down their cheeks again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any feedback would be greatly appreciated! :P


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeah so idk how to write sans or plot or anything help

 

Frisk had no idea how much time had passed since their phone died. They sat next to Chara for what seemed like hours. It probably would have been a good idea to call Asriel while their phone still had charge, but what where they meant to tell him? That his sibling was half-dead? Even if Frisk could get those words out, it wouldn’t do anything but make him freak out… though he was probably already freaking out.

They saw a flicker of movement and bolted upright, staring urgently at Chara. Their eyes had fluttered open, and they were blinking from the light.

‘H-hey, Frisk-’ Chara barely got out their name before Frisk’s arms were wrapped tightly around them. Chara coughed slightly, trying to get their voice to return to its normal pitch.

‘Shit, shit, sorry! Are you okay?’ Frisk pulled back.

Chara nodded, hand over their mouth to muffle their coughs. They shuddered a little at the taste of blood as they sat upright. Pain shot through their body at the slight movement and they tried their best to mask their flinch. Frisk noticed anyways and held them around the waist to steady them, taking care to avoid their bruised chest.

‘Does it hurt? Alphys said she would get painkillers, but she hasn’t come back since…’ Frisk trailed off as they noticed Chara’s expression.

‘Alphys was here? And… why are we here? What exactly happened after… uhm, you know.’

‘Uhm. The tall guy-Papyrus, I think?- helped me carry you here, I don’t know why he took you _here_ but I couldn’t really object, and then Alphys did the bandage-y stuff.’

Chara hid their face in their hands. ‘God _dammit_ , this is so embarrassing…’

‘Embarrassing? How come?’

‘Ugh… never mind. Where is everyone?’

‘I have no idea, but um… How do you know them? Because I kinda have the feeling you guys have all met before…’

‘It’s… a long story. Like, really long.’

Frisk leant back, sighing. ‘That’s what Undyne said.’

‘You… spoke to Undyne? About what?’ Chara said, a hint of fear in their voice.

‘Nothing… uh, she was just being a bitch.’

Chara nodded, biting their lip. There was no way Frisk would ask them about what Undyne had said. Part of them didn’t want to know if it was true. Part of them already believed it was true.

Frisk pushed those thoughts away and gently took Chara’s hand. ‘Don’t… Don’t run off again, okay? I was really worried. And so was Asriel.’

Chara’s eyes widened. ‘ _Shit_. Asriel. Is he okay?’

‘I don’t know, I haven’t been able to call him, but I’m sure he’s fine. Chara, sit back down…’ Chara had begun to get off the desk.

‘We have to go and make sure he’s okay!’

Frisk shook their head and gently pulled them back. ‘We can call him if the others come back, okay? Just sit down, I don’t want you to make your injuries any worse. Please?’

Chara huffed and sat down, though it was mostly because their head was spinning from standing up so suddenly.

‘Fine. And uh… I’m sorry for leaving you guys. I didn’t think anything like this would happen.’

‘Yeah, I know.’ Frisk took their hand again and kissed them. ‘I missed you…’

‘I missed you too, Frisk. I… I lo-’

Undyne slammed open the door before Chara could finish. She leant against the doorway, grinning. ‘Am I interrupting anything?’

Chara scowled. ‘Fuck off.’

Frisk tightened their grip on Chara’s hand.

‘Did you sleep well, Chara? ‘Cuz you still seem kinda crabby. And I’m surprised you can even talk, your neck doesn’t look so great.’

Chara touched their neck lightly, scowling at her. Undyne smugly continued. ‘So uh… I’d love to let you guys talk about any, ahem, _issues_ you may have-‘ She glanced pointedly at Frisk ‘-but as I’m sure Chara has explained by now, we aren’t very patient people.’

Frisk shrugged and looked away, cheeks burning.

‘Or maybe they haven’t? Heh, you guys sure have a healthy relationship going on, huh?’

‘What’s your fucking point?’ Chara’s voice cracked a little as they spoke.

‘Well, seeing as you seem to be feeling so much better, you should come with me. We still haven’t finished with you, freak, so don’t think you’ve gotten off easy.’

‘I wouldn’t call this easy…’ Chara touched their face, raising an eyebrow at her.

‘ _Whatever_.’ Undyne said, rolling her eyes. ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t argue. You don’t look like you’re in any position to fight me at the moment.’

Frisk shifted closer to Chara, looking back at Undyne. ‘They’re not going anywhere, and neither am I, so, _hah_ , if I were you, I’d fuck off.’

‘Wow, punk, I didn’t think you’d still be idiotic enough to stand up for a freak like them after what I told you. I guess you’re into that, huh?’

‘I thought I told you to _fuck off-_ ’

Undyne’s phone began to ring. ‘Oh for fuck’s sake- What now!?’ She stormed out of the room, yelling into the phone.

‘Damn. Um. What’s uh… going on, by the way? I still don’t get why we’re even, um, here.’ Frisk spoke carefully, not wanting to upset Chara. They immediately backtracked when they saw their panicked expression. ‘You don’t have to explain why they hate you, or whatever, just… agh, I’m sorry. Never mind.’

‘Hey, i-it’s okay, this isn’t your fault. I’ll… I’ll explain everything, someday, after we get out of here, okay?’

‘O-okay, yeah.’

Chara smiled, relieved, and leant against Frisk. They looked exhausted. Frisk felt bad for questioning them on what was clearly a heavy subject.

‘How did Undyne know when to come back anyways?’ They thought out loud.

‘Ugh, Alphys set up cameras all over the school. She’s such a fucking creep, and so is Undyne… and the others…’ Chara said through gritted teeth.

‘What? Really? Alphys? But… she seemed so nice…!’

Chara looked disgusted. ‘God, Frisk, don’t go there. Don’t trust any of them. _Especially_ not Alphys. She has a friend who has the power and money to kill us in a heartbeat. You’ve probably heard of him. I mean-’ They bit their lip at Frisk’s widened eyes. ‘Sorry. Forget I said anything.’

‘I can’t just _forget_ that, Chara. Holy shit, why didn’t you mention any of this before?’

‘You’re mad. I knew it. I knew you’d react like this, so that’s why-’

Frisk kissed them before they could finish. ‘Stop! I’m… not mad, okay? I’m just worried.’

Chara blinked, surprised. ‘I… uh. I didn’t want you dragged into this mess. That’s why I didn’t say anything…’

‘Don’t think like that! Please, I want to be there for you. No more secrets, okay?’

‘O-okay…’

‘You promise?’

‘I promise.’

Frisk smiled. Chara tried to do the same.

‘Heh. Liar.’

Chara jumped and span around, eyes instantly locking on the figure behind them. Sans.

‘Oh fuck. How long have you been here?’

He grinned, leaning against the doorway. Frisk noticed how different he looked now, his smug smile and relaxed stance had replaced the startled guy they had encountered on the roof. Undyne stood beside him, a slightly uneasy expression on her face.

‘Aw, what’s wrong, Chara? I thought you’d be happy to see me. Actually, I thought you’d be happy to be able to see at all. Corpses can’t see, after all. But, heh, you’d know all about _that_ , wouldn’t you?’

‘…Why are you even here?’

Frisk frowned, because Chara’s voice sounded so much smaller than usual. They sounded so _scared_.

‘Still playing dumb? Or are you actually a fucking idiot?’

Chara stayed silent, hand tightening into a fist around Frisk’s.

‘Don’t… don’t say shit like that.’ Frisk said. They felt Chara tremble slightly.

‘Stay out of this, kid. I’m guessing that you don’t know what’s going on here, and I recommend you try and keep it that way.’

‘And I recommend you fuck off.’

‘Is telling people to fuck off your only comeback? Real original.’ Undyne spoke up from the doorway.

Frisk flipped her off. Sans just laughed and turned towards Chara.

‘Well, I think it’s high-time that you and I have a chat, freak.’

Frisk expected Chara to retaliate, or to get angry, but to their surprise they only grimaced a little and nodded.

‘Guess so.’ They spoke calmly, but Frisk noticed the slight dip in their voice, and the slight quiver of their hand. They turned to face Frisk. ‘I… I guess this is goodbye, for now.’

‘What!? There’s no way I’m leaving you with him!’

‘Frisk… Please. I need you to check on Asriel, I promise, I’ll be fine.’

‘How can you possibly know that? I can’t just leave-’

‘Please. I promise. I will be _fine._ Just go, and I’ll talk to you later. Okay?’

Frisk wavered, persuaded by Chara’s urgent tone. ‘I… I guess? But… take Undyne’s phone, and call me if anything happens.’

‘Um, excuse me? There’s no way I’m leaving my phone with that freak.’

Frisk crossed their arms. ‘Then there’s no way I’m leaving.’

Undyne threw Chara’s phone at Frisk. ‘Take this, whatever. Now let’s go.’

‘Fine.’ Frisk gave them their phone and kissed them softly. ‘Call Asriel, I’ll be with him, okay? And… you’re sure you’ll be fine?’

‘ _Yes,_ I promise!’

‘Okay…’ Frisk shot a nervous glance over their shoulder before following Undyne out of the lab.

Sans clicked the door shut behind them, raising an eyebrow at Chara. ‘You’ve been making some pretty rash promises lately, huh?

‘What else am I supposed to do? You aren’t giving me many choices here. I’m _sorry_ for what happened, I’ve told you this. What else do you want me to do!?’ They turned away from him, avoiding eye contact. ‘Look. I never meant for any of it to happen. I… I was just a kid. I didn’t know any better.’

Sans walked towards them. ‘Hm. Not good enough.’

‘What the fuck do you want then!?’

‘Well. First of all, that apology was bullshit. You’re ‘sorry’? Hah. Don’t make me fucking laugh, freak.’

‘I didn’t know he was your brother. I didn’t… I didn’t think he would actually get hurt. At the time it was just… just a stupid revenge scheme. And I never meant to hurt anyone-’

‘You never meant to hurt anyone? Really?’ Sans leant forwards a little, amusement dancing in his eyes. ‘Liar.’

‘Fuck, fine, I meant to at the time, but I was stupid! I didn’t understand what I was doing, I was just angry, and confused, I’m _sorry_.’

‘Oh yeah?’

Chara nodded slightly, forcing themselves to look at him. He looked like he was on the brink of laughter.

‘Well, kid. I’m going to give you a choice.’ He turned away from them. ‘You can leave the academy right now, and I’ll let you go freely. You just have to leave your phone behind. And Frisk. And… your brother.’

‘Are you crazy? I’ll be killed in a second! Everyone out there wants me dead!’

‘Heh. I know. But there’s more. If you don’t choose to leave… I’ll kill you right now.’

Chara flinched, hugging their chest.

‘Actually, to be honest, it doesn’t matter which you choose. After all…’ He turned around, eyes darkened in a slight insanity. ‘It will be just as entertaining either way.’

Chara nodded slowly, swallowing back their fear. ‘Right. So… you’re basically saying I have no choice, huh?’

‘In a way.’

‘There’s no way I’m leaving without Frisk and Asriel. You’ll just hurt them too.’

‘Nah, hurting innocent people isn’t really my style. Unlike you.’

‘Then why the fuck did you punch my fucking brother?’

Sans looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. ‘Don’t criticize me on that. That would make you pretty hypocritical. It won’t happen again, I guess.’

‘If I live to see anything else happen to either of them… I promise you I will kill you.’

‘Your promises are pretty meaningless, freak. But don’t worry, I’ll help you keep at least one of the ones you made to Frisk. I’ll tell them everything.’

Chara bit their lip, but just shrugged. They supposed it wouldn’t really matter. It was probably better for Frisk to hate them after they left anyways. And Asriel… one day he’d understand. Maybe.

Then again… Why would Sans be letting them go? He was faced with the perfect opportunity to end their life, and there was literally nothing in his way… The only explanation was that he was planning something.

Of course he was planning something. It was _Sans_. There had to be something waiting for them if they left. Maybe a fate worse than death by his hand, if that was possible.

‘So? Your choice is to leave?’

Chara stood up, swaying slightly as their legs protested against the sudden movement. ‘My choice… I choose to go back to Frisk, and Asriel, and you can go to hell. Okay?’

Sans shook his head, standing up in front of them, still smiling. ‘Let’s try that again.’ He stepped forwards.

Chara scowled, backing against the wall.

‘Look, you’re not making this easy. You could leave, right now, no strings attached. What’s the problem?’

‘I don’t know why you’re so desperate for me to leave. Like you said, you could kill me right now, if you wanted.’

‘Oh? And you think I won’t?’

Chara shifted their weight onto the wall, still completely weak. ‘That’s exactly what I think. It’s obvious that me leaving is just part of a bigger plan to fuck with me even more. So… I’m gonna stay.’

‘Heh. Guess you saw right through me, huh?’ He didn’t look very surprised. He was still smiling. ‘But, kid… the thing is… I _will_ kill you if you stay. Right now, in fact. It’ll just make things a lot more unfortunate for your brother and Frisk.’

Chara felt their heart pound as the familiar feeling of being cornered returned. They stared back into his eyes in spite of their fear.

‘And… you’re saying that by leaving, they’ll be safe?’

‘We won’t hurt them.’

‘…I don’t believe you.’

‘Yes, you do, Chara. You’re just scared… and selfish.’ He laughed. ‘Nothing new there, though.’

‘Look who’s talking. You’re too scared to kill me, so maybe shut the fuck _up_ , okay?’

‘Too scared to kill you? _Please_.’ He stepped closer.

‘Fuck you. Just… Fuck you. I don’t even care, okay? I dare you to fucking kill me.’ They stared right into his eyes, hoping they were correct about his reluctance to kill them. Maybe they shouldn’t have pushed him so far. But they knew what he was like. He had a plan, and Chara refused to give him the satisfaction of them playing along.

They began to regret that decision when they saw his expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, any feedback would be appreciated and stuff. :P


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok so because of writers block i didn't update last week
> 
> and this is shorter than usual
> 
> ((sorry for this shittiness xD))

‘You’ve gotten pretty cocky lately, haven’t you?’ Sans’ sneer had become a lot more forced.

Chara badly wanted to spit back _What are you gonna do about it?_ but they realised they needed to show at least a little restraint. They stayed silent instead, looking right past him.

‘This is kinda anti-climactic. Then again, it’s been a while since we’ve spoken properly, hasn’t it? I guess you’ve really changed your… _Chara_ cter.’

Chara folded their arms and looked at him properly, still refusing to speak. They had to fight a little to keep their scowl in place, though.

‘Huh, you _still_ don’t like my puns? Sigh. I guess some people can’t change. But I know you think my puns are _killing it_ today.’ He grinned at their blank face. ‘It’s funny because your parents were killed. Looks like you wanna follow in their footsteps.’

‘What are you trying to do? Joke around or kill me? Because I don’t know which would be more painful.’

‘Aw, did that last one hurt your feelings?’

‘No, your puns are just fucking stupid.’

‘Again with the attitude. Kinda funny considering I’m the one with the capacity to kill you right now. But please, continue making this entertaining.’

They huffed and turned away. ‘This is bullshit. I’m hungry, I’m still in my fucking pyjamas and I literally can’t remember the last time I took a shower. So fuck off, and let me get on with my life. Because believe it or not, I’m actually fucking happy now. You could be too, if you just let go of the shit that happened years ago.’

‘You’re happy?’ His smile disappeared, replaced with an angry frown. ‘I was too, before you pulled that bullshit you call a ‘mistake’ on me, so why the fuck should I let you be happy now?’

‘Ugh, just go _away_. I don’t _care._ ’

‘Nah, I’m curious now. Answer the question.’

They bit their lip at his tone. He was threatening them, that was obvious from the edge to his voice, but they still stubbornly refused to let him get his way.

‘I... I don’t-’

‘Oh? You don’t want to answer? Or… you don’t know the answer? Maybe because there isn’t a fucking answer. You don’t deserve to be happy, so I’m never, _ever_ gonna let you be.’

Chara pressed back into the wall as they looked back at him again. He wasn’t smiling anymore, instead his eyes were shadowed in disgust, mouth twisted in hatred.

‘You know how much I hate promises, but I swear that I will make your life _just as_ _miserable as mine_ until the day you die. Which uh… may be sooner than I originally thought if you don’t leave _right now_.’

Chara hated themselves for even considering just letting him kill them now. They had been _so ready_ to die back on the roof, yet now they were back at his ‘mercy’, forced to make a death-or-death decision.

In truth, they were _scared_.

They were scared of something happening to Frisk or Asriel. They were scared of giving him the satisfaction of winning, _again_. They were scared of _dying_. Was that so wrong?

Death… it sounded like it would hurt. By his hand, by anyone else’s… Maybe it was selfish of them to put others at risk for the sake of staying alive, but…

They’d been doing it for years, what was the point of changing now?

Though… things had been different then. They had just been protecting Asriel. And… themselves. Now they had Frisk.

Frisk…

Yeah. Someone like them was worth dying for.

‘So… if I leave, you leave Frisk alone? And uh… my brother?’

‘Uh. Sure. Like I said, we won’t hurt them.’

Their eyes narrowed at his wording. ‘What do you mean by that…?’

‘I mean, we won’t hurt them. _They_ aren’t the ones we hate.’

‘… Don’t let anything happen to them, or I swear to god-’

‘Fuck, fine, I’ll protect them or whatever. I take it you’ve made up your mind…?’

‘I… I guess…’ They knew what they had to do. It would be easy escaping this place with Frisk and Asriel, after all, they still had their phone…

‘And?’

‘I’ll leave.’

‘Okay. Give me your phone.’

_Shit._

‘What? Why?’

‘Why the fuck do you think?’

‘… Fine.’ They handed him their phone, frantically trying to come up with a new plan. He was smiling again. Fuck him. They would win in the end, they just needed a way to contact them… ‘Can I at least say goodbye?’

‘No.’

‘… Can I write-’

‘ _No._ You can leave or die. I’m being generous by even giving you a choice.’

‘…So generous.’ They muttered it under their breath, but Sans still raised an eyebrow at them.

‘What was that?’

‘I said you’re being _so fucking generous_ by threatening to _fucking kill me_ you piece of _shit_.’

He shrugged and smirked up at them. ‘What can I say? I’m a nice guy.’

‘I _hate you.’_

‘Ditto. But, as much as I love losing brain cells by talking to you, it’s time for you to leave.’

‘ _Gladly._ ’

‘Good.’ He stepped back from them, his face shifting from mild frustration to relief. Ugh. Chara felt sick. They hated the fact that they were doing this, in spite of the knowledge that it was all a sick scheme. A _game_.

But. They had no choice. Or at least, no reasonable choice.

Leaving would be easy. Surviving out there… not so much. But the hardest part of all this would be figuring out a way to say goodbye. It would be better once they were gone, anyways. Maybe they’d see Frisk again. And Asriel. Maybe Frisk would actually want to see them again. Maybe…

Maybe it was better for them to just stay away.

‘Bye, then…’ They murmured, inching away from the wall. Their tone made it obvious that any previous resolve to refuse his ‘choice’ they possessed before had completely disappeared. Sans hardly seemed to care, stepping away from them in his usual easy stance, hands pushed into his pockets.

‘See ya’, kid.’

\--

Frisk was a relatively patient person, but when it came to being followed around by someone who had just attempted murder on the one they loved, Frisk found their tolerance wearing pretty fucking thin. And, of course, Undyne seemed to remain completely oblivious to this.

They reached their limit when Undyne started to speak, as they left the building.

‘Look, punk. The only reason I’m gonna do this is because Alphys feels bad. And I _don’t_. Okay?’ She folded her arms defensively, coming to a frustrating stop just outside the doors.

‘What do you _want?_ ’

‘I want you to come with me, and… I _guess_ we’ll tell you how all this is gonna go down.’

‘All what? I’m still kinda in the fucking dark here, you know.’

‘We’ll tell you that too. Papyrus and Alphys are waiting. But we don’t have much time, so-’

‘Oh _shit._ This is _hilarious._ Do I look like a _fucking idiot to you??_ You think I’m gonna fall for this _shit again?_ Just fuck off! I’m not going anywhere with you, so just leave me alone!’

Undyne’s face hardened into a glare. ‘Look, I’m _trying_ to help-’

‘… Are you kidding? Or are you actually a fucking idiot?’

‘Don’t fucking interrupt me-’

‘Just FUCK OFF. Holy SHIT. I’m DONE WITH YOU. Please.’ Their voice dropped from a shout as they touched their head. It was still throbbing with pain. ‘Please… just leave us alone. I just want Chara back, I just want to go…’ They stopped themselves from saying home. Chara had always hated it when they called this place their home.

Undyne looked stunned for a moment, then shrugged at them, smiling a little sadly. ‘Well, I tried.’

Frisk walked away, determined not to let Undyne see them cry again.


End file.
